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Trivia: "Waltzing Matilda"
The famous Australian song "Waltzing Matilda" is actually about a swagman and his travels. The song's lyrics are listed below.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited
'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda [refrain]...
Down came a jumbuck
To dri-ink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he stuffed that jumbuck in his
tucker-bag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
Up rode the troopers, one, two, three
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your
tucker-bag?"
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into that billabong
"You'll never take me alive!", said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pa-ass by that
billabong
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.
- Banjo Patterson
circa 1890